Politics. I am immersed in politics, although I am not running for an elected office. From politics in the sports my children play, to politics in the office, and many other forms of politics in between. Living in a world where you are not valued for your skills, work ethic, or knowledge, but valued because of the people you know is, well, extremely frustrating and hurtful. Coming from a long line of hard-working, intelligent, middle-class people puts one at a disadvantage in a disingenuous world. I have become disillusioned that my hard work, skill and knowledge base will ever pay off. Not to mention that it seems I do not have the contacts needed to obtain that promotion or pay raise. I am not a player, I am a worker.

After feeling a bit upset by the office politics I have had to endure throughout the day, I attended my son’s basketball game where I was faced with more politics. The type of politics in which a child is allowed to have more play time if the parents are friends of the coach. Again, no skill or knowledge needed.

It is disheartening to live in a world where skills are not learned, knowledge is not needed, and work ethic is a term from the past. As for me, you can take the promotion from the girl, but you can’t stop the girl from continuing to work hard and excel at every level. It is the way I have been programmed. I can only hope that the political parties involved in my world will learn an important lesson. Oh yes, you know what lesson I am talking about.

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.
-Plato